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Ask an expert

If you ask me what makes the Cambridge Duo stand out, it's attention to detail. Inside the beautiful silver chassis are circuit boards with surface-mounted components, and a state-of-the-art switch mode power supply. You can't see any of these excellent design choices, but more importantly, you can't hear them. The Duo amplifies the tiny signal from moving magnet and moving coil cartridges without adding distortion or noise, so you hear only the beautiful music your records contain.

Attention to detail — like the helpful upside-down labeling of each input — is the hallmark of the Cambridge Duo phono preamp.

Attention to detail

If you ask me what makes the Cambridge Duo stand out, it's attention to detail. Inside the beautiful silver chassis are circuit boards with surface-mounted components, and a state-of-the-art switch mode power supply. You can't see any of these excellent design choices, but more importantly, you can't hear them. The Duo amplifies the tiny signal from moving magnet and moving coil cartridges without adding distortion or noise, so you hear only the beautiful music your records contain.

Another small, thoughtful detail: the inputs and outputs on the back of the preamp are labeled so they can be read right-side-up or upside-down. Anyone who's ever had to make connections to a component that's already in place will appreciate that little nuance. There's also a balance knob on the back of the unit so you can fine-tune left/right channel output.

Headphone amplifier

Maybe you're a night owl like me, and you want to dig into your record collection even while others are sleeping. The Cambridge Duo has a built-in headphone amplifier with a full-size 1/4" jack so you crank up your faves without waking up the whole house.

Which headphones should I use with my turntable?

“I usually steer vinyl fans towards headphones with a warm, natural soundstage. Grado headphones are a good place to start — take a hard look at their Reference Series RS2e headphones. Hand-crafted mahogany earcups give you smooth, relaxed highs that pair nicely with vinyl.

Other options include the more budget-friendly Audio Technica ATH-M50x headphones or the top-flight Sennheiser HD 800 S headphones. Both offer the well-balanced, revealing sound you want when you're playing records.”

— Jeff Miller, Crutchfield headphone guy

Product Highlights:

compatible with moving magnet and moving coil phono cartridges

rear balance control knob for fine correction of left- and right-channel cartridge output

Hands-on research

Product Research

Features

Phono (MM) Preamplifier: Enjoy every last detail from your
vinyl collection with Cambridge Audio's high-quality moving magnet phono stage,
the Duo phono preamplifier. Cambridge Audio designed the Duo around
exceptional components that deliver the warm and detailed sound that's
synonymous with vinyl, all without distorting the signal from your moving magnet
or moving coil
cartridge.

Note: Due to the low-level signals created by a turntable,
not all integrated amplifiers and receivers will let you connect directly to
a record player. A phono preamplifier, like the Cambridge Audio Duo, boosts
this signal to something an integrated amplifier or receiver can work with.

Carefully Selected Components: To preserve the unique warmth
of the vinyl sound, the Duo phono preamplifier has been carefully designed with
a state-of-the-art switch mode power supply and a new surface mounted circuit
board layout to reduce unwanted noise. The switch mode power supply improves
performance by switching outside of audible frequency to drastically reduce hum,
while the new circuit board layout uses surface-mount components to reduce
noise.

Subsonic Filter & Balance Control: If some records in your collection
are a little worse for wear, the Duo's built-in subsonic filter will help to
eliminate low frequency rumbles that can be caused by imperfections within your
vinyl. Combine this with the balance control for handling potential cartridge
imbalances in your record player (that can cause a difference between the left
and right channels) and the result is a detailed experience with accurate
soundstage.

1/4" Headphone Output: Enjoy the warmth of vinyl privately thanks
to the Duo's front-panel 1/4" headphone output. Uniquely, Cambridge Audio
integrated this headphone jack directly into the phono stage, so you can
still enjoy your records when there's no option to play out loud. The integrated
headphone output also means no need to turn on your amplifier just to power your
headphones, resulting in a more eco-friendly listening experience. The headphone
output has a dedicated rotary volume control knob on the front-panel of the
phono preamplifier.

Note: Headphones with an impedance of between 32Ω
and 600Ω are recommended.

Stereo RCA Outputs: The Cambridge Audio Duo phono preamplifier is
outfitted with a set of gold-plated stereo RCA outputs to connect to the
line-level inputs on your home receiver or integrated amplifier using a set
stereo RCA cables (sold separately - see Accessories Tab).

Note: Do not connect the Duo to a "Phono Input" on a receiver
or integrated amplifier.

Turntable Ground: If your turntable has a separate grounding
lead then connect it to the Duo's ground terminal. This provides shielding to
the arm and the sensitive circuitry in the turntable.

Detachable AC Power Cord: The Cambridge Audio Duo comes
with a 58" detachable AC power which plugs into the back of the phono
preamplifier and a AC power outlet or surge protector (sold separately).

Max Power Consumption: 10 watts

Standby Consumption: <0.5 watts

Mains Inlet Voltage: 100-240V AC

Auto Power Down: The Cambridge Audio Duo has an Auto Power
Down function. The phono preamplifier will automatically switch to standby mode
after inactivity of 20 minutes.

Our Product Research Team

At Crutchfield, you'll get detailed, accurate information that's hard to find elsewhere. That's because we have our own in-house Product Research team. They verify what’s in the box, check the owner's manual, and record dimensions, features and specs. We stay on top of new products and technologies to help people make informed choices.